Commercial Mushroom PRS Co-op topped the latest list of CAP beneficiaries published by the Department of Agriculture having received €8.60m in funds between 16 October 2023 and 15 October 2024.

It received €2.86m in producer organisation aid and another €5.73m in targeted supports for the fruit and vegetables sector.

It’s website states that the organisation represents 18 mushroom growers, as well as soft fruit and veg producers, whose combined sales revenue exceeded €117m in 2021. Animal Health Ireland was the second highest recipient of CAP payments, having received €6.34m under the advisory service, farm management and relief funding heading. Another €6m in CAP funding was paid to National Co-op Farm Relief Services for pillar two ‘technical assistance’.

Bord Bia is listed as having received €5.7m in CAP funding in the year after October 2023, which is an 85% jump on the levels of CAP funding the agency received in the previous year.

Some €3.2m of this funding came for food promotion and €2.43m for the school fruit, veg and milk scheme. These same funding headings had paid Bord Bia a combined €3.08m in last year’s edition of the beneficiaries list.

Teagasc is listed as a beneficiary 16 different times in the list, with the funds totalling €3.75m. However, €2.75m of this funding is addressed to Carlow for knowledge exchange and most of this funding would have been passed on to farmers afterwards.

The Hen Harrier Project Ltd based in Co Galway was the next highest recipient listed as having received a net €3.8m for co-operation. The project received €8.85m in last year’s list.

WCCP Limited listed with an address in Kerry received €2.68m for co-operation and the Pearl Mussel Project got another €1.26m under the same heading.

The National Dairy Council was funded to the tune of €1.19m for the school fruit, veg and milk scheme.